Climate of the Republic of Ireland
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The climate of Ireland is mild, humid and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Ireland's climate is defined as a temperate
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
, or ''Cfb'' on the Köppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe. The island receives generally warm summers and cool winters. As Ireland is downwind of a large ocean, it is considerably milder in winter than other locations at the same latitude, for example
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
in Canada or Sakhalin in Russia. The Atlantic overturning circulation, which includes ocean currents such as the North Atlantic Current and
Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
, releases additional heat over the Atlantic, which is then carried by the prevailing winds towards Ireland giving, for example, Dublin a milder winter climate than other temperate oceanic climates in similar locations. The prevailing wind blows from the southwest, breaking on the high mountains of the west coast. Rainfall is therefore a particularly prominent part of western Irish life, with Valentia Island, off the west coast of
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, getting almost twice as much annual rainfall as Dublin on the east ( vs. ). January and February are the coldest months of the year, and mean daily air temperatures fall between during these months. July and August are the warmest, with mean daily temperatures of , whilst mean daily maximums in July and August vary from near the coast, to inland. The sunniest months are May and June, with an average of five to seven hours sunshine per day. Though extreme weather events in Ireland are comparatively rare when compared with other countries in the European continent, they do occur. Atlantic depressions, occurring mainly in the months of December, January and February, can occasionally bring winds of up to to Western coastal counties, with the winter of 2013/14 being the stormiest on record. During the summer months, and particularly around late July/early August, thunderstorms can develop.


Temperature

Ireland experiences a lack of temperature extremes compared to other areas at similar latitudes. There is regional variation, with inland areas being cooler in winter and warmer in summer than their coastal counterparts. The warmest areas are found along the southwest coast. Valentia Island has the highest average temperature, at 10.9 °C. The coldest areas are found inland. Mullingar has the lowest average temperature, at 9.3 °C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C at Kilkenny Castle, on 26 June 1887. The lowest temperature was -19.1 °C at Markree Castle on 16 January 1881. Six of the warmest ten years in Ireland have occurred since 1990. Due to climate change, it is estimated that the temperatures will rise everywhere by up to 3.4 degrees by the end of the century. Extreme heat and cold are both rare throughout the country. Summer temperatures exceeding 30 °C are rare, usually only occurring every few years (2022, 2021, 2018, 2016, 2013, 2006, 2005, 2003, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1983, 1976 and 1975 are recent examples), although they commonly reach the high 20s most summers. Severe freezes occur only occasionally in winter, with temperatures below -10 °C being very uncommon in the lowlands and temperatures below freezing uncommon in many coastal areas. However, temperatures in the Wicklow Mountains are said to reach -10 °C annually.


Frost

Air
frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
occurs frequently in the winter, with most areas seeing over 40 days of air frost every year. In northern areas, air frost occurs on average 10.2 days every January, the month in which air frost occurs most frequently. In the Sperrins and the Glens of Antrim air frost occurs around 80 days a year. The pattern is similar with ground frost, with on average around 100 days of ground frost in the lowlands and over 140 in the mountains. The number of frost days in Ireland have declined massively over the past decade. The largest season decrease has been known to take place in winter. Frost is rarer along the coast, in urban areas and also in western and southern areas.
Roches Point Roche (F. Hoffmann–La Roche) is a Swiss healthcare company. Roche may also refer to: Companies *Roche Diagnostics, a division of F. Hoffmann–La Roche ** Roche Applied Science, a business group of Roche Diagnostics Places France * Roche, ...
, County Cork receives the fewest days with air frost, with an average of 7.0 days with air frost recorded annually.
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
receives the most days with air frost, with an average of 53.0 days with air frost recorded annually. In Dublin, Dublin Airport records air frost on average 24.3 days per year, while
Casement Aerodrome Casement Aerodrome ( ga, Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn) or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the southwest of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole airfield of ...
(which is further inland) records air frost on average 41.3 days per year.


Sunshine

The sunniest months are May and June. During these months sunshine duration averages between 5 and 6½ hours per day over most of the country. The southeast gets the most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December is the most overcast month, with average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the southeast. Over the year as a whole, most areas get an average of between 3¼ and 3¾ hours of sunshine each day. Irish skies are completely covered by cloud roughly half of the time. The sunniest part of the island is the southeast coast. Rosslare,
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
was historically the sunniest area, however, the station was closed by Met Éireann in 2007. The sunniest station throughout the 1981 to 2010 period was Ballyrichard HSE in Arklow, County Wicklow, which received an average of 4.41 hours of sunshine per day. The cloudiest (i.e. least sunny) parts of the island are generally the west and northwest of the country. Over the 1971-2000 averaging period, Claremorris,
County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
was the cloudiest station, receiving just 1,072 hours of sunshine per year. From 1981 to 2010, Birr,
County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...
, in the Midlands, was the most cloudy (overcast) station, receiving on average 3.2 hours of sunshine per day, considerably less than the stations at
Malin Head Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It is ...
in the north or
Belmullet Belmullet (, IPA: bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony (Ireland), barony of Erris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the commercial and cul ...
in the west. Inland areas tend to receive less sunshine than coastal areas due to the convective development of clouds over land. Cloud develops because of vertical air currents caused by thermal heating of the ground.


Precipitation


Precipitation

Rainfall is the most common form of precipitation on the island, and is extremely common throughout Ireland, although some parts of the west coast receive twice as much rain as the east coast. Rainfall in Ireland normally comes from Atlantic frontal systems which travel northeast over the island, bringing cloud and rain. Most of the eastern half of the country has between of rainfall in the year. Rainfall in the west generally averages between . In many mountainous districts rainfall exceeds per year. The wettest months almost everywhere are December and January. April is the driest month generally, but in many southern parts, June is the driest. The average number of "wet days" (days with more than of rain) ranges from about 151 days a year along the east and southeast coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west. The wettest weather station is Glanagimla, Leenane, Co. Galway, which averages rain per year. The wettest synoptic weather station is Valentia Island, which receives of rain per year, on average. The driest weather station is at Ringsend, Co. Dublin, which receives of rain per year, on average. The weather station with the highest number of "wet days" is Belmullet, with 193 days per year, while the station with the lowest number of "wet days" is Dublin Airport, with 128 days per year.


Rainfall records

Source: *The driest year recorded in Ireland was 1887, with of rain recorded at Glasnevin, County Dublin. *The longest drought in Ireland occurred in Limerick between 3 April 1938 and 10 May 1938 (37 days). *The greatest monthly total was ; recorded at the Cummeragh Mountains, County Kerry, in October 1996. *The greatest annual total was ; recorded at Ballaghbeena Gap in 1960. *The greatest daily total was ; recorded at Cloone Lake, County Kerry, on 18 September 1993.


Snowfall

Severe cold weather is uncommon in Ireland with the majority of winter precipitation coming in the form of rain, although hills and mountainous regions in the country can commonly see up to 30 days of snowfall annually: the Wicklow Mountains region sometimes experiences 50 or more days of snowfall each year. Most low-lying regions of the island only see a few days of lying snow per year (from December to March inclusive), or may see no snow at all during some winters. However, there are preparations for snow and ice, including the distribution of grit, salt, and other snow-treatable minerals. In late 2011, the Irish Government set up "Winter-Ready", in order to prepare the country for such severe weather. Due to its variability (which is mainly because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean,
Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
and North Atlantic Drift, as well as Ireland's northerly latitude and vulnerability to Siberian/Arctic winds) Ireland's weather during the winter months is difficult to predict. The aforementioned factors make both extremely low temperatures and relatively mild temperatures possible. The snowiest weather station is Clones, County Monaghan, which receives, on average, 18 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 6.2 days have snow lying at 09:00. The least snowy weather station is Valentia Island,
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
; which receives, on average, 5.6 days of snow and/or sleet per year. Of these, 0.8 days have snow lying at 09:00.


Hail

Hail Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
, like snow and sleet, is also rare in Ireland; however, it can occur at any time of the year. It is most common in spring during thunderstorms.
Malin Head Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It is ...
, County Donegal receives the most hail, with an average of 48.4 days per year. Roche's Point, County Cork receives the least hail, with an average of 8.0 days per year.


Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms are quite rare in Ireland. They are more likely to happen in late spring, although they can occur at any time of the year. Cork Airport, County Cork experiences the least thunder; receiving it 3.7 days per year on average. Valentia Island,
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
experiences the most thunder; receiving it 7.1 days per year on average.


Wind

Generally, the coast tends to be windier than inland areas, and the west tends to be windier than the east. The station with the highest mean wind speed is
Malin Head Malin Head ( ga, Cionn Mhálanna) is the most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN. It is ...
, County Donegal, averaging at . Malin Head also receives the most gale-force winds, recording them on average 66.0 days per year. The station with the lowest mean wind speed is
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
; averaging at . The station that records the lowest number of gale-force winds is Birr,
County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...
; recording them on average 1.2 days per year. The highest wind speed ever recorded in Ireland was at Fastnet Lighthouse, County Cork on 16 October 2017. Tornadoes are very rare in Ireland, with around less than ten reported every year - mostly in August.


Fog

Fog is more common inland and on higher altitudes; mainly during winter and during the morning at times of high pressure. The foggiest station is that at Cork Airport, County Cork, which has 99.5 days of fog per year. The least foggy station is that at Valentia Island,
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, which has 8.9 days of fog per year.


Visibility

Visibility is generally very good, because of the proximity of industry to the coast, allowing breezes to disperse any smog. Mist and fog often occur, as well as coastal fog in the east, but it is generally not long-lasting. However, in winter, it can be slow to clear.


Climate change


Climate charts


See also

* Geography of Ireland * Climate change in the Republic of Ireland


References


External links


Met Éireann
{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of Ireland Ireland